Overview: The Three N’s
In honor of Disability Pride month I am launching an Adult Summer Reading Bingo Challenge-themed blog series with a deep dive into the topic of neurodiversity captured by the “Neurodivergent Authors” square on the bingo sheet. Disability Pride was established in July 1990 and over the past three decades has helped to improve the visibility of people living with disabilities as well as advocacy for this marginalized community.
What is neurodivergence and where does it fit under the umbrella framework of disability? According to this article about Disability Pride month, neurodivergence is captured by the gold stripe in the Disability Pride flag (see blog post image).
In terms of defining what I’m calling the “Three N’s”, a recent post from the University of Glasgow’s PGR Blog offers a solid distinction between these interrelated concepts: 1. Neurodiversity, 2. Neurodivergence, and 3. Neurotypicality.
The basic idea behind neurodiversity is that we live in a world in which human brains are all wired differently and this is perfectly natural and normal. The “norm” is understood as neurotypicality and anyone whose brain works differently falls under the very broad category of neurodivergence.
There are numerous strains of neurodivergence, several of which often overlap, including but not limited to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), dyslexia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), among countless others. (A more comprehensive list can be found here).
The concept of neurodiversity was developed in the 1990s as an activist movement in support of neurodivergent individuals and explicitly challenges the language of “disorders” and other pathologizing terms used by the medical and psychiatric establishment. For more information about the neurodiversity movement, check out the website of Dr. Nick Walter, a self-proclaimed “neuroqueer” scholar and activist, and his recent book by the same name. (Unfortunately, his book is not currently available in our system. We can look into the possibility of an out-of-state interlibrary loan if you are curious to read it).
Finally, before launching into book lists and other resources, most of the materials I was able to find at MML and thru the Minerva network pertain to autism and ADHD. Far fewer capture other forms of neurodivergence. Please do not take these lists as an indication that I believe that other forms of neurodivergence are less important. It would appear they haven’t been written about as extensively and more work might be needed to fill this gap and increase visibility of neurodiversity beyond its two most well known expressions.
Adult and/or Books by Neurodivergent Authors: Nonfiction
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL # (Location – if NEW) |
| Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum (2018) | Cook, Jennifer O’Toole | 616.8588 OTO |
| Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation (2022) | Gadsby, Hannah | Not owned by MML; available at 12 Minerva libraries |
| Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions (2022) | Grandin, Temple (with Betsy Lerner) | 152.14 GRA (NEW) |
| Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things (2015) | Lawson, Jenny | 92 LAW |
| Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age (2023) | May, Katherine | 158.1 MAY (NEW) |
| Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World that Wasn’t Designed for You (2020) | Nerenberg, Jenna | Not owned by MML; available at 9 Minerva libraries |
| An Outsider’s Guide to Humans (2020) | Pang, Camilla | Not owned by MML; available at 10 Minerva libraries |
| Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity (2022) | Price, Devon | Not owned by MML; available at 10 Minerva libraries |
| Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity (2015) | Silberman, Steve | 616.85882 SIL |
| Born On a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant (2006) | Tammet, Daniel | 92 TAM |
Adult and/or YA Books by Neurodivergent Authors: Fiction
Just a quick prefatory note: unfortunately I had much better luck finding neurodivergent authors of nonfiction books, especially memoirs. I couldn’t find very many names of fiction authors who are neurodivergent, so I’ve included multiple titles by one of the authors listed below: Charlie Jane Anders (who has Sensory Integration Disorder).
| TITLE (Pub. Year) | AUTHOR | CALL # (Location – if NEW) |
| All the Birds in the Sky (2016) | Anders, Charlie Jane | AND |
| The City in the Middle of the Night (2019) | Anders, Charlie Jane | AND |
| Parable of the Sower (2016, orig. ed. 1993) | Butler, Octavia (with an intro. by Gloria Steinem) | BUT (NEW) |
| The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily (2017) | Creedle, Laura | Not owned by MML; available at 6 Minerva libraries |
| Turtles All the Way Down (2017) | Green, John | YA GRE |
| The Midnight Library (2020) | Haig, Matt | HAI |
| Get a Life, Chloe Brown (2019) | Hibbert, Talia | HIB |
| The Kiss Quotient (2018) | Hoang, Helen | HOA |
| The Name of the Wind: The Killer Chronicle, Day One (2007) | Rothfuss, Patrick | ROT |
| An Unkindness of Ghosts (2017) | Solomon, Rivers | SOL (NEW) |
Other Resources: Podcasts, Blogs, TV, Movies & Documentaries, etc.
If you are looking for a TV series, movie, or documentary to watch featuring neurodivergent characters, check out the partial list I’ve compiled using a handful of online lists for inspiration (Here are a few more suggestions from Vanderbilt University and ADDitude Magazine).
TV Series & Comedy Shows
| TITLE (Linked to Season 1 trailer) | Release Date & Number of Seasons | CALL # (if available through MML/Minerva) | Streaming Service (if unavail. Through MML/Minerva) |
| Atypical | August 2017/
4 seasons |
N/A | Netflix |
| Everything Is Gonna Be Okay | January 2020/
2 Seasons |
N/A | Hulu |
| Lady Dynamite | May 2016/
2 Seasons |
N/A | Netflix |
| Nanette | 2017 | N/A | Netflix |
Movies
| TITLE (Linked to trailer) & RELEASE DATE | CALL # (if available through MML/Minerva) | Streaming Service (if unavail. Through MML/Minerva) |
| Amélie (2001) | Foreign DVD Amel | N/A |
| Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) | DVD EVE & Blu-ray EVE | N/A |
| Temple Grandin (2010) | DVD Templ | N/A |
Documentaries/Docuseries
| TITLE (Linked to trailer) & RELEASE DATE | CALL # (if available through MML/Minerva) | Streaming Service (if unavail. Through MML/Minerva) |
| Asperger’s Are Us (2016) | N/A | Netflix |
| Love on the Spectrum (2022) | N/A | Netflix |
Podcasts
Looking for additional resources like podcasts to listen to during your commute? Check out the following links for suggestions.
- Uniquely Human: The Podcast (see also the book)
For more podcast recommendations, check out Stetson University’s librarian-curated list.
Concluding Thoughts and Local/Regional Support Organizations
Finally, if you or someone in your friend/family circle are neurodivergent and want to find online resources and support networks, check out the following link.
Local (Maine-based) Resource for the Neurodivergent Community
- Autism Society of Maine (includes resources for parents of neurodivergent children)
If you suspect you may be neurodivergent but haven’t been formally evaluated, check out the links below about autistic (and ADHD) “masking”; a very common phenomenon!
Resources for undiagnosed neurodivergent people:
- National Autistic Society (UK) – Article about “Masking”
- TedX Austin Video Talk: Women & Girls with Autism Going Undiagnosed (for “Masking”): Speaker – Kate Kahle
Overall, I hope this blog post is informative whether or not you are participating in the Adult Summer Reading Bingo challenge AND whether or not you identify as neurodivergent.
Happy Disability Pride month!
-Courtney Kleftis (Adult Services Librarian)
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